Soap composition



Patented June 18, 1946 SOAP COMPOSITION Benjamin S. Van Zlle, Wilmington, Del, assignor to Hercules Powder Company, Wilmington, Dei., a corporation oi. Delaware No Drawing. Application October 21, 1943,

Serial No. 507,183

9 Claims.' 1

This invention relates to a soap composition and process of producing the same and more particularly to a soap which can be employed for washing in sea water and to a method forits preparation.

The problem of washing fabrics, metallic surfaces, stone and wooden surfaces and the like with sea water has long been recognized. In the past, sand and wood ashes and cold process soaps containing considerable quantities of glycerin, and alkali have been used. Later, soaps comprising coconut oil and palm oil mixed with small amounts of various alkaline salts were employed. However, none of these combinations were very soluble in sea water, requiring large amounts of soap for the work and; in general, leading to inefiective results.

Now in accordance with the present invention, a soap has been prepared which will have adequate detersive and foaming properties in sea water at a low concentration and have the added features of being relatively inexpensive and comprising readily obtainable materials. This improved sosp composition comprises a fatty acid soap of an alkali metal, an alkali resinate, and a polyphosphate of an alkali metal.

In general, in carrying out the preparation of the described soap composition, water, a fatty acid soap, 9. resinate of an alkali metal or am monia, hereafter referred to as an alkali resinate, and an alkali metal polyphosphate which may be mixed with other alkaline salts are introduced into a soap crutcher which is then operated until a homogeneous mass is formed. The whole mess is then poured into soap frames and allowed to solidify. After solidification, the frame is removed, the large block of soap cut into slabs, the'slabs into bars and the bars into cakes, granules, or flakes of the desired size. The soap thus prepared when used with salt water has high detersive and foaming properties.

Having described in a. general way the nature of this invention, the following examples are given by way of illustration:

Example 1 v To a large miner were added 34 parts by weight.

of water, which was then heated to 186 F. With continuous agitation, 33 parts by weight of 41 C.

' titer tallow soap were added. Then, 16.5 parts by weight of on! sodium resinate were stirred into the mixture, followed by addition of 16.5 parts by weight of anhydrous tetrasodlum pyrophosphate. Agitation was continued until the mass was smooth in texture. The soap was then iii poured into a. frame, allow d to solidify and finally cut into bars.

The soap thus produced was subjected to a performance test as follows:

Wool fabric was soiled by passing through a soiling solution comprising a vegetable oil, a mineral oil and carbon black all dissolved or dispersed in carbon tetrachloride. The unsoiled fabric having a reflectance of 58%:2.6%, as measured by a Hunter refiectometer, was passed through the soiling solution a sumeient number of times to reduce the reflectance to 39%:2.5%. After soiling, the wool fabric was washed in a 3% solutlonof the described soap in sea water, by squeezing it vigorously 59 t mes in the detergent solution within 2 minutes. fabric was then rinsed in warm soft water and dried. The refiectance was compared with that oi an unsoiled piece of the identical fabric which had likewise been squeezed 50 times in sea water, rinsed, and dried. The reflectance diflerence was found to be 1.9%. A soap prepared in a similar manner in which the sodium resinate of the above sample was replaced by an equal weight of tallow soap showed a reflectance diilerence of 20.4% in a comparable washing test.

In a manner similar to that of mample 1, other soap compositions were made and tested in which a portion of the tetrasodium pyrophosphate was replaced by other alkaline salts and in which the sodium resinates of various modified resins were employed. The results are summarized below:

15% are considered to be suitable for use. It is to be noted that in all of the above examples the reflectance diflerence is less than 6% and in some cases less than 2%. These values may be compared with a soap containing no resinate but only tallow soap, pyrophosphate and water and which showed a reflectance difference of 20.4% and thus was unsuitable for use in washing with sea water.

In addition to the above examples, the following soap compositions have been found .to have excellent detergent qualities when used for washin: in salt water.

Example 9 Composition 7 233g? Fattyocid sodium soap (41 C.titer). 33.0 Sodium rosiuaie oi wood rosin l6. Sodium hosametaphosphate 16. ll Wain? 34. 0

Example 4 Example Composition {33 Composition ggf' gg & Fatty acid sodium soap (4l titer) 33.0 Fatty acid sodium soap (41 C. titer) 33.0 Sodium rash-rate oi wood rosin i6. 5 Sodium resinate of wood rosin l6. 5 Tstrssodium pyrophosphate 8. 25 Sodium tetraphosphate lo 6 Trisodium phosphate B. 25 Water 34, 0 Water 34; 0

B Reflectance dilemma-4.0%. Q Example 1 1 Example 5 Ports b 9 Composition weigh Parts by weight 35 Fatty acid sodium soap (41 0. titer). as gfiurn {eisinilste gt wolodwrosin um es s Fatty acid sodium soap (41 0. titer) 33.0 wmuffgi lnfi 34. Sodium msinato oi gig-5min l6. 6 Totaoodium pyrop hate 16. 5

will Example 12 Reflectance diflerenco- 2.0%. Pam by Composition we Example 6 v Fatty acid sodium soap (41 C. titer). 26.

Composition Parts y Sodium resinate of wood rosin.-

19.15 l Tetrasodium pyrophosphale 10. 75

Water 34.0

m e zes ssm um no ym n 'letrasodium pyrop photo. 1o. 6 p e 13 Water 34. 0

' Parts b Reflectance memos-1.8%. Composition l "lam? Emmflie 7 a 0 l3. 0 Parts by so. 0 Composition weight Wotan. 34.0

no add sodium I (41 0. titer) 33.0 Em 1 14 Sodizmrsoinotooimogenotsdrosin. 16.6 .mpe *ohsoodium pyrophosphato 3 Composition 3? Reflectance dilemmas-1.7%.

Fat acid sodium soa 41 C. titer 33.0 Example 8 sodizm resinato oiwo d n.-- 20.0 Totrasodium pyrophosphato 13. a W 34.0 Composition a Example 15 Fatty acid sodium soap 41 C. tlter).. 33.0 WM m e muill Mb Wm .;".l.. .."l.-..it:i'.::iti'. see 0mm ma Reflect dlflemnoe=4.l%- ggxty acid sodium soaogdsigzifi. titer) um rosinste o w n- In general, salt water soaps which give to lab Totmsodium pymphogphgtg i6. 5 rics a reflectance diil'erence of not greater than u '9' In most of the above examples, a fatty acid sodium soap having a titer test of 41 C. was used. However, other soaps produced by the saponiflcation or fats and oils with alkali metal hydroxides or carbonates by any of the usual soap making processes such as boiled, semiboiled. or cold made may be employed. The titer should lie between about 25 C. and about 48 C. and preferably in the range of from about 39 C. to about 43 C.

The alkali resinate used may be produced by the saponlflcation or neutralization of refined or unrefined wood rosin or gum rosin or from modifled resins. such as polymerized rosin, hydrogenatedrosin dehydrogenated rosin. partially decarboxylated rosin, isomerized rosin resulting from heat treatment and various other modified rosins. While in general, the resinate of any of the alkali metals or ammonia may be emiii; ployed, the sodium resinate made by the mouldphosphates of the alkali metals have been employed.- A portion of the polyphosphate up to about 50% of its weight may be replaced with other alkaline water-soluble inorganic salts such "as sodium silicate, trisodium phosphate, sodium carbonate, and the various other alkaline materials commonly used in the soap industry.

The composition of the soap may vary depending upon its physical form and the material which is to be worked. In general the soap may comprise on a dry basis from about 5% to about 30% of an alkali metal resinate and preferably from about to about from about 20% to about of an alkaline salt and preferably from about 20% to about 30%, and from about 45% to about 75% of a. fatty acid soap and preferably from about 40% to about 60%. The moisture content of the finished soap may be between about 0% and about depending upon whether the soap is to be employed in paste, powder, flake or bar form. The most preferable form has been found to be that of a bar soap having a moisture content between about -32% and about 36%.

In addition to the described process, various other methods of making the soap have been employed. Thus a mixture of rosin and fatty acid was saponified with a hydroxide or carbonate of an alkali metal so as to obtain a soap comprising about two parts of fatty acid soap to about one part of alkali resinate. This mixture was subsequently crutched together with the alkaline salt to yield a salt-water soap. In this connection, talloil comprising a mixture of resin acids and fatty acids may be employed by saponifying and then adding the alkaline salt.

The components of the soap may be mixed either in the dry state or a water slurry of the ingredients may be made prior to mixing. Mechanical mixtures of tallow soap flakes, dry alkali metal resinates. and alkali metal polyphosphat-es have been found to yield a soap which is equally effective as those compositions in which the components were mixed together in a semifluid state.

An alternatemethod of proceeding is to add the dry alkali metal resinate to a mixture. of water, fatty acid soap, and alkaline salt. This method has resulted in a porous, floating soap having a high rate of solution. By variation in the crutching technique to control the amount of air included in the soap, the density may'be varied from a dense soap, having the advantages of being compact and requiring less space for storage and shipping to a light porous soap in which much air is included.

The described soap in addition to being an excellent salt-water soap may be used with efiective results in ordinary soft or hard water, and has been found to be an excellent cleansing and washing agent for fabrics, the surfaces of metals,

- glass, wood, porcelain and the like when used tainable materials, has been found to have high detersive and foaming properties in sea water at a low concentration yielding a more effective cleansing and washing agent than used heretofore.

Whatl claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A salt-water soap composition, comprising on a dry weight basis from-about 45% to about of an alkali metal water-soluble soap of fatty acids having a titer between about 25 C. and about 48 C., from about 5% to about 30% of a water-soluble rosinate selected from the group consisting of alkali metal rosinates and ammonium rosinates, and from about 20% to about 45% of an alkaline water-soluble inorganic salt. at least one-half of said salt being a polyphosphate of an alkali metal, aid soap composition being characterized by high detersive and foaming properties in seawater.

2. A salt-water soap composition comprising on a dry weight basis from about 40% to about 60 "/2- of an alkali metal water-soluble soap of fatty acids having a titer between about 25 C. and about 48 C., from about 20% to about 30% of a water-soluble rosinate selected from the group consisting of alkali metal rosinates and ammonium rosinates, and from about 20% to about 30% of an alkaline water-soluble inorganic salt, at least one-half of said salt being a polyphosphate of an alkali metal, said soap composition being characterized by high detersive and foaming properties in sea water.

3. A salt-water soap-composition comprising on a dry weight basis from about 40% to about 60% of an alkali metal water-soluble soap of fatty acids having a titer between about 25 C. and about 48 C., from about 20% to about 30% of a water-soluble alkali metal rosinate of wood rosin, and from about 20% to about 30% of an alkaline water-soluble inorganic salt, at least one-half of said salt being a polyphosphate of an alkali metal, said soap composition being characterized by high detersive and foaming properties in sea water.

-4. A salt-water soap composition comprising on a dry weight basis from about 40% to about 60% of an alkali metal water-soluble soap of fatty acids having a titer betweenabout 25 C. and about 48 C., from about 20% to about 30% of a water-soluble alkali metal rosinate of gum rosin, and from about 20% to about 30% of an alkaline. water-soluble inorganic salt, at least one-half of said salt being a polyphosphate of an alkali metal, said "sap composition being characterized by high detersive and foaming properties in sea water.

5. A salt-water soap composition comprising on a dry weight basis from about 40% to about 60% of an alkali metal water-soluble soap of fatty acids having a titer between about 25 C. and about 48 C., from about 20% to about 30% of a water-soluble alkali metal rosinate of polymerized acterized by high detersive and foaming properties in sea water.

6. A salt-water soap composition comprising on a dry weight basis from about 40% to about 60% of a sodium soap or fatty acids having a titer between about 25 C. and about 48" C., from about 20% to about 30% of a sodium rosinate, and from about 20% to about 30% of tetrasodium pyrophosphate, said soap composition being characterized by high detersive and foaming properties in sea water.

7. A salt-water soap composition comprising on a dry weight basis from about 40% to about'60% of an alkali metal water-soluble soap of fatty acids having a titer between about 25 C. and about 48 C., from about 20% to about 30% of a water-soluble alkali metal rosinate, and from about 20% to about 30% of an alkaline watersoluble inorganic salt, at least one-half of said salt being tetrasodium pyrophosphate and the remainder being sodium silicate, said soap composition being characterized by high detersive and foaming properties in sea water.

8. A salt-water soap composition comprising on a dry weight basis from about 40% to about 60% of an alkali metal water-soluble soap of fatty acids having a titer between about 25 C. and

. and foaming properties in sea water.

9. A salt-water dry soap composition compris- 'ing on a dry weight basis from about'40% to about 60% of a sodium soap of fatty acids having a titer between about 25 C. and about 48' C., from-about 20% to about 30% oi. a sodium rosinate. and from about 20% to about 30% of tetrasodium pyrophosphate. said soap composition being characterized by high detersive and foaming properties in sea water.

BENJ' S. VAN ZZLE, 

